Jun 2023

Video about the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program

Ashna Arora Jordan Bellquist Daniel Avila Jacob Miller

This video provides an overview of the Crime Lab’s evaluation of the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program, a program implemented by the community behavioral health provider Thresholds.

In this program, individuals eligible for diversion are connected with a substance use counselor, are released without criminal charges, and face no threat of future prosecution related to the arrest.

Early findings of the study show that the program successfully engages participants in treatment and significantly reduces re-arrest rates, demonstrating that a sanction-free response to the opioid crisis can work at scale to help make cities safer and healthier.

NADP is a partnership between the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and Thresholds.

Related Resources
Agent-Based Model of Combined Community- and Jail-Based Take-Home Naloxone Distribution
Academic Paper

Agent-Based Model of Combined Community- and Jail-Based Take-Home Naloxone Distribution

Dec 2024

This paper outlines the impact and cost-effectiveness of naloxone distribution, particularly for people facing criminal justice involvement.

Empirical Analysis of Prediction Mistakes in New York City Pretrial Data
Academic Paper

Empirical Analysis of Prediction Mistakes in New York City Pretrial Data

Feb 2024
Policing Substance Use: Chicago’s Treatment Program for Narcotics Arrests – Working Paper
Academic Paper

Policing Substance Use: Chicago’s Treatment Program for Narcotics Arrests – Working Paper

Oct 2023

This working paper sheds light on the effectiveness of diversion programs by showcasing Chicago’s drug diversion program success in reducing drug-related arrests.

Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible
Brief

Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible

Aug 2023

Using new data from a large urban trauma center in Chicago, we document substantial under-reporting of domestic violence at the time of receiving medical care.

Latest Updates

Curbing gun violence in Chicago doesn’t require that we first end poverty
Op-Ed
Chicago Tribune
Oct 2025

Curbing gun violence in Chicago doesn’t require that we first end poverty

Crime Lab leaders Katie Hill and Jens Ludwig penned an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune highlighting the root causes of gun violence and the growing body of research showing that increased neighborhood vibrancy generates surprisingly large changes in the prevalence of gun violence, by as much as 30%.

A fighting chance
Media Mention
The University of Chicago Magazine
Oct 2025

A fighting chance

In The University of Chicago Magazine’s Fall ’25 issue, Susie Allen profiles Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig to discuss his book, “Unforgiving Places,” which challenges conventional wisdom on gun violence and suggests new approaches to solving the problem.

Researchers: Violence intervention and policing should complement, not compete against, each other
Op-Ed
Chicago Tribune
Oct 2025

Researchers: Violence intervention and policing should complement, not compete against, each other

The Crime Lab’s Executive Director Katie Hill and Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig discuss evidence-based solutions to crime, including violence intervention and data-driven policing, in an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune.